I'm confident that we'll never see fascism appear again. It's simply too taboo to copy it exactly.
But here's what I'm worried about:
- You have the potential for a huge recession (double dip too) with the debt ceiling.
- You already have a serious question of the ability for the Democrats and Republicans to govern our nation and maintain our country's credibility.
- As an extension of the above. I say we can see people lose faith in democracy if our representatives fail to even do the most basic things like fulfilling its payment obligations (not just interest payments, but social security payments. I bang my head when I hear someone say we have enough money. It's basic arithmatec, we don't have enough money to pay EVERYONE. Somebody will need to get the short stick. Bond owners will be worried, even if they get their interest payments, if they see the US being unable to fulfill its other obligations).
- You have an extremely weak job growth, and high unemployment. College students with high student loans, will become shocked a few years later, when they realize that what used to be thought of as an gaurantee (the middle class) isn't any more. This is a really key point IMHO. Essentially, you have a large number of people, coming from the middle class, feeling like they're under siege.
- You already have an extremely partisan political landscape. FNC and the Republican party have always been pretty wacky since Goldwater and Reagan (sad to see how McCain's positions changed in the 2008 elections), but it's sad to see that someone like John Boehner would walk away from an incredibly one sided deal, due to pressure from the tea party. You then have MSNBC trying to copy FNC, and I think that in a couple of years the left will become more radical as well.
I truly think that if the shit hits the fan, there'll be more extremism on the right and left. It's important to note though, that fascism wasn't a right or left movement. It was a reactionary movement against extremism (ironically). When you have a huge recession, an radical right and left that can't seem to govern properly, and high unemployment, the middle class will become afraid. And if there's a politician that can appeal to that fear, then I say you have a movement similar to fascism (without the hyper nationalism, purging of the enemy, statism, etc).
College Unemployment
College Unemployment 2
Debt Ceiling
Debt Ceiling 2
Extremism/Idiot
